Century Club: Tom Dean

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Wednesday, April 5, 2023
Number of days:
1 day
April 5th - In like a lamb, out like a lion

Sunny - Mid 60's when I arrived - 78 when I got out of the boat. Barometer was 30.09 steady. Winds out of the south - growing.

Arrived early at the marina as I wanted to check the tension on the standing rigging at dock with no wind. Found all shrouds and stays were well within expected range - except on. The back lower shroud was a bit loose (compared to other side - but I did find out from a Maryland School for Sailing video about checking the rig that the mast should be a bit bowed out at the lower shrouds... which was why the front lower shrouds were a bit tighter than the back lower shrouds. After finishing the check and putting things back - got the boat started and pulled out - as the winds were expected to pick up a bit after 11.

Motored out of the marina and got the main up pretty quickly as I turned south in Langford Creek - then motor/sailed until reaching the day marks the one into the creek. Wind picked right about when they said - 11am... up to 7 knots for a bit, than 9 knots, then started building gradually. As the weather helm increased, I decided to reef the Genoa - which was smart because after not too long after 1 pm (again the weather guys were right on) it picked up significantly... 15 or more knots, gusts up to 20. The seas got a bit angry too - picking up quickly to a foot than more... and the wave length was quick - felt like it was hitting me every second. Since I had made it down the Chester, getting almost to Eastern Neck Island - beating with 4 tacks I decided to concede and turn to a broad reach. Made good time and speed going back up the river on two tacks. Got into Langford creek and not sure whether everything picked up more, or the wind was funneled down the creek - because it was really gnarly! Fun putting down the mainsail singlehanded! Re-wrapped up the Genoa and headed to slip at Langford Bay Marine. Fun day and I reefed early!

Tuesday, April 4, 2023
Number of days:
1 day
April 4th - 5 hour Sail!

A beautiful day for a sail! Sunny, mid 60's when I left the dock - 70 when I returned. Barameter was at 30 and steady. Winds were out of the South 10 - 15 knots for most of the day. Left Lankford Bay a little before 10:30 am and got the main up as I made the turn down Langford Creek at day mark 7. Kept the engine on - held a port tack down the creek a bit until there was room to go on a starboard tack. Decided to try a reefed Genoa - and make it a Jib since I was getting some good wind and waves - didn't want to be overpowered singlehandling.

Beat down the Chester to the Red and Green Buoys off of Eastern Neck Island - and Queenstown Creek - Chester River Channel Markers 11 & 12. where I turned in to the wind, pulled in the Jib (genoa) and dropped the main. Since I was going to be on a run or close to it back to the marina, I let out the full Genoa in 14 - 15 knot winds and began flying back. 

Took some time to check the tension - with a gauge - of all the stays and shrouds.  Did it under load on both Starboard and Port - and then with just the headsail up. Very interesting... going to have to speak with the rigger at the marina after I do measurements at the dock tomorrow. 

Sailed from 10:30 until 3:30.  Longest sail of the year so far - went about 20 nautical miles when one counts the tacks!

Monday, April 3, 2023
Number of days:
1 day
April 3rd - 6th Work Day and Hopefully last!
  • Solar reparied and re-mounted

The wind was blowing a might bit - so took the day to do some needed maintenance.  First I changed all of the fuel filters - the one on the engine and also the fuel water seperator - both which needed it.  Also found some gunk in the bottom of the seperator, so I gave that a bit more love.

Next, I moved to the impeller since the engine had run with the water closed for a bit of the winter. Sure enough, one of the fins were broken - found it hiding in the heat exchanger.

As always with projects something has to go wrong... I dropped the water pump cover into the bilge - took a while to fish that out - but got it done!

Discovered that the water back where the centerboard post is (under the floorboards) is being caused by the water tank overflow NOT the centerboard!! 

Finished riveting the solar arch/array and put it back up!  Yea!

Monday, March 27, 2023
Number of days:
1 day
Another work day - 5th one for the season

Got to the boat early and was planning on doing work, but almost went out on a sail because the winds were kicking up! Another look at the weather report and the sky told me it would be best to stay in, so I spent the day working on oiling the teak and getting the solar array mast ready for deployment (have to still rivet the solar panels to the frame!). Took a ride down to the Rock Hall West Marine store for some supplies and found exactly what I needed to properly secure the attachement to the mast that will allow me to position the solar panels.  The mast was originally built for a radar (Gauhauser), but I have repurposed it to do the solar - and after many attempts using cable ties (nylon and stainless) I finally decided to go ahead and secure the panels with rivets since the frame (which is aluminum riveted) has survived everything Mother Nature has thrown at it - while the connections I have used for the solar have not!  Hope to raise the solar panels on Wednesday - since the winds will be light.

Sunday, March 26, 2023
Number of days:
1 day
March 26 - Sail with Crew

Was a lovely day - was 52 when we got to the boat and got up above 60 before the day was over. Barometer was at 29.97 and falling slightly - Winds out of the west and were at 10-16 knots most of the day, except for about 15 minutes when they fell off.  Left Lankford Bay Marina about 11:00 or so... first mate had a tough time leaving the slip as well as getting the main sail up, but with the Captains help, managed to get it up before heading down Langford creek on a close/beam reach. We furled the headsail to a jib just to keep us well balanced - and that worked nicely.Headed down the Chester staying primarily in the basin area between church, grays inn, reed, and Langford creek just having some fun on a nice springy day. Wind dropped off right about 2pm, so we turned back and unreefed the headsail, but the wind filled in again and we were a bit overpowered with a 150 genoa out. Had a nice breeze all the way back up the Chester and into Langford creek before dousing the sails as we headed into Davis Creek and Lankford Bay marina.  A lovely spring sail with the First Mate!!

Wednesday, March 22, 2023
Number of days:
1 day
3rd Day of Spring - nice winds! 3/22

Highs were in the upper 50's low 60's. Mostly Cloudy. Winds out of the south starting off at 5-10, but quickly went up to 10-15. No real gusts - pretty stead. Barometer 30.21 steady. 

Set off around 11:30 out of Lankford Bay marina. Didn't even try to get the main up until I had rounded day mark 7 in Langford Creek as the winds were picking up and the direction was not conducive to raising it ealier. Kept the engine on until I got to the Long Cove day beacon (no. 3) in Langford Creek where put out a reefed Genoa (roller furling) set to about the size of a jib, and turned off the engine. With the reefed headsail, I had good control of the boat in winds ranging from 12 to 19 knots. Stayed on a close haul and made good velocity until getting to the Langford Creek Junction Light out in the Chester, and then I moved to a beam reach sailing back and forth between Gordon Point outside of Reed Creek and Ringgold Point outside of Church Creek. Finally decided to head back, so turned into the wind with the furled headsail out... dropped the main, and then unfurled the headsail to the full 150 Genoa and had a wonderful run back up the Chester, Langford Creek and into Davis creek where I rolled it in, turned on the engine and headed back into the slip. A fun day - even though it wasn't sunny

Tuesday, March 21, 2023
Number of days:
1 day
March 21 - second day of spring

Highs in the mid-upper 50's, Winds light 5-10 knots out of the south. Barometer 30.39 - fell to 30.33. Set off from Lankford Bay Marina a little after 11 when the winds came up. Got the main up before day mark 7 in Langford Creek. While the winds were light, the direction allowed me to head down the creek into the Chester with just a few tacks.. albeit slowly. Spent most of the day on close hauls, taking back and forth and getting down to Ringgold Point on the west side of the Chester in the large basin area. Winds - which were on and off prior to this became a bit more steady - so I dropped the main, rolled in the Genoa and put up Jenny - the Gennaker and had a delightful sail back up the Chester, into Langford Creek and even kept her up in Davis Creek where I dropped her before heading back to the slip. While I didn't get to sail (no wind) on the first day of spring - the second day made up for it!

Friday, March 17, 2023
Number of days:
1 day
March 16 - After the gale

Arrived after the previous two days of gale force winds to find Bubbles none the worse for wear - except for a bent solar frame and a partially detached solar panel. Took that down to repair (on March 17th) and went for a sail.  Highs were in the low to Mid 50's - beautiful sunny skies with winds from the South - South West at 8 - 10 knots. Left Lankford Bay Marina about noon and headed out towards Langford Creek.  Got the sails up prior to daymark 7 and easily sailed down the creek in 4 tacks. Stayed close hauled on a port tack down the Chester towards Eastern Neck Island. Saw a commercial boat setting/checking their fish pound nets - but other than that didn't see anyone else. When I decided to turn around and head back, the wind had lightened up a little, so I decided to bring out the Gennaker. Got her up with no problems at all and had a nice sail back - all the way in to the marina area in Davis Creek before I doused her. Need to repair the solar, so a St. Patricks day sail may not be in the offing!

Friday, March 10, 2023
Number of days:
1 day
March 9th
  • Flying!
  • Out into Chester
  • Reefed headsail

It was a brisk day - in the high 40's, very low 50's but sunny. Nice winds from the Northwest 10-15 with some bigger gusts. Got out of the slip and as soon as I left the Lankford Bay Marina area, turned back to get up the main. Thought about reefing, but decided to leave out a full main and just reef the headsai - which worked very well - the boat had a nice balance to her. Flew down Langford Creek and into the Chester sailing on a beam reach down to the Chester River channel bouy 11 - off of the tip of Eastern Neck Island. That was about 7 nautical miles in an hour - quite a feat for a sailboat that has a max speed (according to the formula) of 6.7 knots!! After I made the turn to head back, the wind slowed a bit, but still moving well - but on a bit more of a close reach. Wind began picking up again up near Grays Inn Creek and into Langford Creek, so I had to re-furl (reef) the headsail (a 150 Genoa) so as not to be overpowered. Lovely sail - lovely day. Only one other boat out - and that was a powerboat!

Monday, March 6, 2023
Number of days:
1 day
Full Crew sail - March 5
  • Captain and mate
  • On a beam reach
  • Starboard tack
  • Old Russian vacation house
  • Captain and First Mate

Finally got the first mate (wife) to agree to a sail. Small craft advisory out, but as it had seemed - like the past few sails that there was no reason for it... at least when we left the dock! Put the mainsail up after the turn at day mark 7 in Langford Creek and the engine was off soon thereafter as we tacked down the creek in a souther wind 8 - 12 knots.  Wind was steady, so we put Bubbles on a close reach and headed just south of Grays Inn Creek and then turned and put her on a beam reach and were making good speeds as we headed over to the mouth of the Corsica. Decided not to go down the Corsica, and instead stayed out in the basin, so we began heading, on a beam reach, back over towards the western shore of the Chester when the winds began to die off a bit and shift.  I knew the forecast was for the winds to shift about 1 - which happened, and they lightened up substantially - maybe 3 to 4 knots.  When the winds finally finished their shift, they picked up substantially - going from 3 knots to 15 without any warning - gusts 25+. First mate jumped right in and depowered the main, then began to furl up the genoa. That helped quite a bit, allowing us to control the heeling and the boat.  On a broad reach, we sailed back up Langford Creek to our marina - Lankford Bay Marina under some continually strong winds.  At the turn to day mark 7 with the engine on, we were able to safely furl the remainder of the genoa, and then drop the main. A good first sail - even though difficult - because we handled it well - cool, calm and collective which made us both feel very good! Glad I wasn't out there singlehanded... would have been quite a bit more difficult! Pictures only of the easy stuff - we were a bit busy later!!

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